that were only raised on our farm, courtesy of Samuel. There were the bank loans that would randomly come due because our payments weren’t being applied to our loans… He held sway over this town because everyone here feared him. But they loved my father, and when he got sick, people came here of their own free will and gave him the evidence he’d been trying to gather his whole life.”
It’s everything I need and more. God above. And it’s just being dropped into my hands. “Does Mia know about this?” I ask. It might piss her off. It might do a lot of things. She’s been through so much in the last month that I’m not sure of just how clear her thinking is.
“Not yet,” he replies softly. “I’ll tell her… but she’s had a rough day. He lied to her about your mom’s accident. He told her Patricia wrecked because she was out looking for Mia.”
I always wondered what he had on her, what sway Samuel used to bend her to his will. Now I know and I hate him even more. “While Mia was with you,” I surmise. “Even if it were true, that’s still not Mia’s fault.”
Bennett nods. “Well, that’s what she’s been living with for the last ten years… with him putting that in her head every chance he got.”
I open the back door of the car and pull out the bag Evelyn had packed. “I don’t know what’s in there. I called Evelyn and she went back to the house and packed for her while I kicked Samuel’s ass out.”
Bennett grinned in the darkness. “I would have liked to see that.”
“It was bloodless,” I reply. Regrettably bloodless. I wish now that I’d at least taken a swing at him.
“Disappointing.” The sad note in Bennett’s voice tells me I’m not the only one who would have liked to see Samuel with his ass in the dirt and a couple of his perfect teeth missing.
I’d had to tip my hand pretty heavily to get him gone. I’d pretty much given him everything I had on him and provided him the chance to cover his tracks. It had been a strategic concession, and it would complicate things in the future. But with what Hayes had given me, I was still going to come out on top. If it allows Mia a chance at real peace and possibly even happiness, it will all be worth it. “I’ll check in with Mia tomorrow. I’m sure she needs the rest.”
“I will look after her,” Bennett says. There’s a tone in his voice, proprietary and a little defensive, like I’m doubting his intentions.
“If I doubted that for a minute, I would have thrown you out of the hospital myself two weeks ago,” I remind him.
Bennett points to the folder. “Whatever you do with all that, make it count.”
“He’s broke… flat fucking broke,” I confess. It feels good to say this shit to someone. “He’s living on credit that’s about to be maxed out and mooching off friends who haven’t quite figured it out yet. This,” I tap the file folder, “was the final piece to force his hand.”
“Into what?”
I smile. It’s so close I can taste it. “Leaving. There’s a ratty condo in Boca Raton with his name on it. If he wants to live in the lap of luxury, he’s going to have to start dating twenty years older instead of just twenty years old.”
Bennett laughs out loud. “That, I would actually pay to see… but only the G-rated version. God above.”
“Go take care of Mia,” I tell him. Like I plan to go take care of Annalee. Tonight, it’s time to confess. “I’ll let you know how this shakes out.”
Bennett nods and opens the door to his truck, when he does, a picture comes fluttering down from the visor. I stoop to pick it up but Bennett is already in his truck and gone. Getting into my car, I turn on the dome light and take a look at the photo.
“Son of a bitch!”
We’ve been searching for a link between Samuel and Katherine Shelby and it was right under our noses all along. A much younger Erica McCoy is staring back at me from the photo with her arm around her equally blonde and
It’s everything I need and more. God above. And it’s just being dropped into my hands. “Does Mia know about this?” I ask. It might piss her off. It might do a lot of things. She’s been through so much in the last month that I’m not sure of just how clear her thinking is.
“Not yet,” he replies softly. “I’ll tell her… but she’s had a rough day. He lied to her about your mom’s accident. He told her Patricia wrecked because she was out looking for Mia.”
I always wondered what he had on her, what sway Samuel used to bend her to his will. Now I know and I hate him even more. “While Mia was with you,” I surmise. “Even if it were true, that’s still not Mia’s fault.”
Bennett nods. “Well, that’s what she’s been living with for the last ten years… with him putting that in her head every chance he got.”
I open the back door of the car and pull out the bag Evelyn had packed. “I don’t know what’s in there. I called Evelyn and she went back to the house and packed for her while I kicked Samuel’s ass out.”
Bennett grinned in the darkness. “I would have liked to see that.”
“It was bloodless,” I reply. Regrettably bloodless. I wish now that I’d at least taken a swing at him.
“Disappointing.” The sad note in Bennett’s voice tells me I’m not the only one who would have liked to see Samuel with his ass in the dirt and a couple of his perfect teeth missing.
I’d had to tip my hand pretty heavily to get him gone. I’d pretty much given him everything I had on him and provided him the chance to cover his tracks. It had been a strategic concession, and it would complicate things in the future. But with what Hayes had given me, I was still going to come out on top. If it allows Mia a chance at real peace and possibly even happiness, it will all be worth it. “I’ll check in with Mia tomorrow. I’m sure she needs the rest.”
“I will look after her,” Bennett says. There’s a tone in his voice, proprietary and a little defensive, like I’m doubting his intentions.
“If I doubted that for a minute, I would have thrown you out of the hospital myself two weeks ago,” I remind him.
Bennett points to the folder. “Whatever you do with all that, make it count.”
“He’s broke… flat fucking broke,” I confess. It feels good to say this shit to someone. “He’s living on credit that’s about to be maxed out and mooching off friends who haven’t quite figured it out yet. This,” I tap the file folder, “was the final piece to force his hand.”
“Into what?”
I smile. It’s so close I can taste it. “Leaving. There’s a ratty condo in Boca Raton with his name on it. If he wants to live in the lap of luxury, he’s going to have to start dating twenty years older instead of just twenty years old.”
Bennett laughs out loud. “That, I would actually pay to see… but only the G-rated version. God above.”
“Go take care of Mia,” I tell him. Like I plan to go take care of Annalee. Tonight, it’s time to confess. “I’ll let you know how this shakes out.”
Bennett nods and opens the door to his truck, when he does, a picture comes fluttering down from the visor. I stoop to pick it up but Bennett is already in his truck and gone. Getting into my car, I turn on the dome light and take a look at the photo.
“Son of a bitch!”
We’ve been searching for a link between Samuel and Katherine Shelby and it was right under our noses all along. A much younger Erica McCoy is staring back at me from the photo with her arm around her equally blonde and
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